Building a Mystery
by TwilightSorceress
Summary: A BLAKE'S SEVEN FIC, this is not related to Harry Potter. The events following briefly after the end of the series.
1. Staying Alive

The Blake's 7 Universe was created by Terry Nation. I am not connected with Terry Nation or anybody at the BBC. No profit is being made from this story.  
  
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Part One-Staying Alive  
  
It was a long, black tunnel with a dim light at the end. Unconsciousness was peaceful, oh so quiet and dark. There was nothing to think about or worry about. Something or somebody was calling him back. Back to the unsettling, irritating light of reality which lay at the end of the dark tunnel.  
  
Blinking, it took a long time to focus. When he did, he was looking into a pair of unusually large, shocking turquoise eyes. At each center, the pupils were of a dark forest green shade. The young woman had extremely long pale blonde hair, and her skin was several shades paler than the average human. She was beautiful, with rosebud lips and almost flawless features. Her body looked quite frail from his vantage point, though Avon could tell that she held latent power. She wore a shimmering green jumpsuit of an unusual fabric that seemed to be made especially for her. At her feet were highly shined black leather boots whose tops disapeared up under the legs of the jumpsuit.  
  
"Who are you?" Avon rasped.  
  
"Tsk, tsk. You don't remember me? Have I changed all that much?" The young woman said in a very soothing, soft voice that held dynamic undertones. It seemed to originate from heaven itself.  
  
"Saurina? It can't be you." Avon growled in frustration.  
  
"Oh, it is. I'm all grown up now."  
  
"What are you doing here? And where are we?" Avon rolled off a tattered black leather cot. He took this chance to look about his surroundings. They were in a very long room that seemed to go endlessly down a long tunnel-shaped passage. He couldn't see the end of the room for two reasons-it was too far away, and it was cloaked in shadow. He could see what appeared to be the outlines of some lofted beds. He also sensed the presence of many eyes watching their every movement. The air reeked with a dank, rotting/sewage smell that almost made him gag. The floor was covered with grime.  
  
"This is Federation holding cell, priority execution. I'm here because I was caught, simple as that. The Federation don't tolerate mind readers anymore. And you know I'm the last of my race." Saurina muttered.  
  
"I thought it was the goal of your father, and you, to say alive, to do whatever the Federation asked of you, thus avoiding complication, and nonetheless, death." Avon frowned.  
  
"My father lost that battle. He's dead." Saurina proclaimed softly.  
  
"I am sorry." Avon bit out, not sounding sorry at all. "What happened to him?"  
  
"He committed suicide a year ago. You were wrong though, Avon. I have never shared the sentiment that killed him. I'd rather be free to do the right thing instead of being allied to a totalitarian dictatorship." Saurina choked out, her eyes flashing anger and pain.  
  
Avon swallowed, then walked slowly around the area with the most light. "This doesn't make any sense. If they're going to kill us, why don't they get it over with instead of waiting around? The Federation doesn't work like this."  
  
"You're right. Maybe they have something planned for us." Saurina whispered. "Oh, and Avon...some of your friends are here. They were brought in with you. I have read their minds. They are over there." She pointed toward the shadows.  
  
Avon started to head toward the place where Saurina had pointed. Instead, he turned and looked back at her. "Did you read my mind?"  
  
"I tried to. You think I would pass up an opportunity like that? I've been wanting to get inside your head for a very long time, Avon. I could tell, even though you wouldn't let me get very far, that you have much pain. I could have helped you. You wouldn't let me. You locked me out." Saurina walked up to him and gently touched his cheek.  
  
"Don't!" Avon grated, pushing her hand away. Saurina flinched. "I wasn't trying to...oh, what's the use. You have always been so cynical, so paranoid, mistrustful. Avon, your mind is a mess. You can no longer function like this. If you would only let me help you, you would be able to think clearer...if only let go of the hurt of the past...this guilt and pain, you would.....hell, why do I go on? You won't listen to me. You never did." Saurina turned, arms crossed, and walked over to a corner of the room, her head bent.  
  
Avon continued to the shadowed area. Vila lay on a pile of what looked like furs. Soolin was nearby. There was no sign of Dayna or Tarrant, or Blake for that matter. Avon heard someone cough further in the darkness. He narrowed his eyes and tried to scan the area, but the blackness cloaked everything. The tiny lights near the far-off back of the room barely shed a glow to the surroundings.  
  
He kneeled and knudged Vila. "Vila...can you hear me?" Avon muttered harshly. He felt naked without a weapon at his side. It unnerved him being unprotected in the darkness. "Saurina. Could you help me pull Vila into the light, and Soolin?"  
  
Avon felt a cool, light touch on his nape and started. He whirled around swiftly to find Saurina kneeling at his side. "Damn it, don't come up behind me so quietly! Help me."  
  
As they struggled to drag him into the light, Vila's eyes opened. "Avon, is that you? You killed Blake...." His eyes slid shut again, and he groaned. They laid him in the corner and returned for Soolin. Just as Saurina laid her hand on Soolin's shoulder, she gasped. Avon shot up and looked around, wary. "What is it?" He demanded.  
  
Saurina knelt by Soolin's side. She laid her hand on Soolin's neck. "She's dead....I don't understand...she was alive....the stun must have been too powerful...I'm sorry."  
  
Avon grimaced. "Leave her."  
  
"Ah...Avon...me head....where are we?" Vila groaned.  
  
"Of all the people in our group to survive, it had to be him." Avon frowned.  
  
"You don't know if they all died. They could be somewhere else." Saurina reasurred, brushing off her hands as she returned to the light.  
  
Vila was holding his head, blinking, and moaning. "Gosh, that's some hangover. I thought I was dead. Maybe I'm in hell. That would explain Avon being here."  
  
"Good point." Avon muttered and gave a small, insincere smile.  
  
"But do you really feel this kind of pain when you're dead? What happened to everybody else?" Vila asked as he sat up, rubbing the side of his head.  
  
"Soolin's dead." Avon motioned toward her body barely discernable in the shadows. "As to Dayna and Tarrant, your guess is as good as ours."  
  
Vila turned toward Saurina. "Whoa, and who might you be?" He paused, frowned, and then said, "I've seen you somewhere before...but where?"  
  
"In your head, Vila, in your head. I'm sure you know of the Terapen, don't you? This is the last of their kind. Vila, this is Saurina Thorne, part Terapen, part human, and she has the ability to get into your head." Avon said in a dull voice.  
  
"I'm pleased to meet you, Vila Restal. May I also add that your mind is infinately unique. I've never before witnessed anyone with such a strong stability, and yet such infantile thoughts. It's quite charming." Saurina said as she shook his hand.  
  
Vila grinned cheesily. "The pleasure is all mine. I knew I'd someday impress someone with my mind."  
  
Avon smiled slightly, but the smile seemed to be more of a sign of irritation or impatience. He turned to Saurina and spoke gravely, "Incidently, Saurina, you never completely explained how you happened to be up for execution by the Federation. Why are you here?"  
  
"I knew you wouldn't be satisfied with my explanation. There is a patient of mine on Gauda Prime, I believe. He is in serious need of my capabilities because he is a compulsive killer. He ran away from me on the planet Fultron. I couldn't let him get away to murder helpless people, so I enlisted the help of a smuggler to transport me to Gauda Prime. I've been wanted by the Federation for a very long time, not just because of my abilities and the fact that they want to exterminate all mind-readers and impaths, but for the keen ability I had of clearing away brainwashing techniques used by the Federation. I had to have a secure way of transport. So I enlisted the help of this woman, I believe her name was Jenna-"  
  
"Jenna? Jenna Stannis, by any chance?" Vila's eyes widened.  
  
"Yes. Do you know her?" Saurina asked, curious.  
  
"Of course we know her. Didn't you get to read her mind? I'm sure you would have, given any chance." Avon eyed her, suspicious.  
  
"Right again. I would have, but I never got close enough to touch her. She was pretty tightlipped, wouldn't tell me a thing; only the agreed upon price. When we got to Gauda Prime, there were quite a few Federation people. I don't know if Jenna got away or not, but I was captured. I'd been spotted my a guard I'd known in the past. I was a fool, went out in the open. It cost me." Saurina frowned. "I shot one of the guards. You taught me to keep a weapon with me at all times, Avon. I had a small gun hidden in my boot."  
  
"Bravo." Avon grinned halfheartedly.  
  
"Not bravo. I hate killing, but he was coming on to me. I hate that, and you of all people should know it. Killing that guard was what lead me to be here."  
  
"How did you know that this place was where executable prisoners go?" Avon queried.  
  
"The outside of the door reads, "The Condemned". Quaint, hmm?" Saurina smiled.  
  
"But where exactly are we?" Vila spoke up.  
  
"Try "hell"." Avon scoffed.  
  
"Not quite. This is the planet Altastar. It's the new headquarters for the Federation." Saurina declared.  
  
"What?" Avon shouted.   
  
A dark figure slunk out from the shadows and chuckled evily. "Your Saurina is very bright, indeed. Stand still, don't make any quick moves. It won't do you any good, anyway." Servalan smirked. Two mutoids stood behind her, their guns raised.  
  
"Servalan....you." Avon bit out.   
  
"Yes, Avon. I have you exactly where I want you. I know that you do not want to help me. But I can offer you something a little more satisfying that death. I can put you at a place of great importance within the Federation. You can act as my personal assistant. I have always been in need of a person with a clear head, an intelligence, which would be unmatched in you." Servalan announced.  
  
"It's a pity that won't happen. Haven't you considered that I might want a choice in this?" Avon muttered.  
  
"In fact, Avon, you won't. I know that you are undergoing considerable stress, and that your mind is a bit shaky at this point. Your little friend Saurina was kept alive only because of this fact. She will help us bring your chaotic mind into order. In fact, she has voiced her own intentions of doing so. Although I feel that she had a different objective in mind, I don't think that it will be hard to twist her ideals a bit, and perhaps plant the right ideas into your head." Servalan smiled, satisfied.  
  
"Why you..." Saurina shouted, then came up and to her and was about to slap her in the face. Avon pulled her back to him and said, "I don't think she wants to help you, do you Saurina?" Avon said forcefully and urgently knudged her in the back. She looked past Servalan and saw the outline of someone carrying a gun coming up behind Servalan. She could also feel a very compelling request emanating from Avon's mind to hers. At first, she was shocked because nobody had ever been able to communicate with her in such a way before. After a moment of brief shock, she calmly told herself anything was possible with the man who...  
  
Saurina shook her head and said urgently, "No, I will never help you! You can go ahead and kill me now, because it would be over my dead body!"  
  
"Foolish girl. You could-" Servalan began but never finished. The figure with a gun fired, and the mutoids and Servalan lay on the floor, dead.  
  
"Thank you, Jenna that was perfect timing." Avon smiled at a familiar face. He started to laugh an odd laugh that oddly sounded genuine, as if he was really amused, which was totally unlike him.  
  
Jenna had appeared from the shadows, holding a gun. She smiled and said, "Come on, you three....we have to get out of here. I know how to evade the troops, and my freighter ship is docked in a hidden location. It's fortunate that I had it housed with cloaking capacity...I'm sure they haven't found it yet." She insisted.  
  
Vila picked himself off the floor shakily. "Awk, I still feel a little dizzy. I thought that was probably the end for us..I should have known we'd come out of it. How many times can a man come so close to death and still be alive? Jenna, where have you been all these years?"  
  
"No time to talk now, let's get out!" Jenna shouted.  
  
Avon stood facing the wall now, and he hadn't stopped laughing. Saurina turned swiftly in realization, her brow wrinkled with worry as she approached him. When she laid her hand on his shoulder, he continued laughing deliriously as if someone had said an immensely funny joke.  
  
Jenna and Vila came up behind Saurina and Jenna asked briskly, "What is wrong with him? We have to leave before we're discovered!"  
  
Saurina closed her eyes and placed her hand gently against Avon's temple and focused on his mind. All that she could discern from her brief perusal was that he was far away, in a place of his own. It was the place where his demons were kept. "He is far away now. I think he will come with us without compliant, though. Help me." Saurina said as she released the hold she had on his temple.  
  
"Hmm, I'm wondering what I just stepped into." Jenna muttered ponderingly.  
  
*****************  
  
The surface of the planet was sweltering. There was absolutely no breeze. It was nightime, and even so, the atmosphere was barely habitable. Two large moons shed light nearly as brightly as a dying star would have. The three slowly made their way on a long route past Federation guard stations and posts. A craft was settled far along the terrain in a convenient dip. Inside, it was remarkably cooler, but not as tidy as either the Liberator or Scorpio had been. It looked more lived-in and cozy, but without the niceties of a battleship. It was a rather rough atmosphere.  
  
Jenna led the others into a stark white room that contained sparse medical supplies. Saurina and Vila guided Avon into a comfortable-looking reclining chair. He was making a high, keening whining noise.  
  
Vila and Jenna walked some distance away, out of earshot of Saurina. "That's it, he's finally lost it. I knew it was going to happen for some time now." Vila interpreted.  
  
Jenna sighed. "Well, I suppose there's nothing much we can do for him now."  
  
Vila asked swiftly, "You mean, you don't know about Saurina's abilities?" I thought you were taking her to Gauda Prime. Did you not know what she is?"  
  
"What she is? Vila, what are you talking about?" Jenna asked, puzzled. "Yes, I was taking her to Gauda Prime, but she..."  
  
Saurina walked over to where they were talking and supplied, "I'm a Terapen. Well, yes, I am part human, but-"  
  
"Terapen! Of course! But didn't the Federation exterminate....oh, I'm sorry." Jenna said when she saw the grief written on Saurina's face.  
  
"Yes, they did. That is why I'm glad to see that part of the Federation has been eliminated completely today...the death of Servalan. It's a small taste of revenge. I thank you, Jenna."  
  
Jenna smiled. "I'm happy to oblige you."  
  
Avon moaned. Saurina and the others went to him, and Jenna and Vila realized that Saurina had strapped him down so that he could not move. They looked at each other uneasily.  
  
"Don't worry, it's only for his protection and ours." Saurina said immediately.  
  
"Can you do anything for him?" Jenna asked.  
  
"I think that I am probably one of the best people you should have around right now. Unfortunately, he has to want help. I can't help a mind that blocks me out. It is painful for a Terapen to force themselves into a mind against it. Avon's mind is against a lot, especially me messing around with it. I will have to work with him. It might take some time....I know it will take time to work on his specific pain and help him deal with it. I haven't been officially trained by my ancestors, and my mother died several years after I was born, so most of what I know is what I learned myself....but mind healing has been my profession. Being part human is a great hindrance, since I can also be influenced by the kind of things that trouble the human mind. I've always been sensitive to human pain and emotion. It may be even more difficult, since he is...." Saurina went silent, and looked back at Avon, a far away look in her eyes.  
  
"He's what?" Vila asked.  
  
Saurina turned swiftly to him, a startled look on her face, as if she didn't expect that kind of question. "It is unimportant, and you wouldn't understand." She went back to Avon's side and placed a hand on his forehead.  
  
Jenna and Vila walked to the door and exited to the hallway. Jenna asked softly, "What do you make of her? What do you think?"  
  
"Only that she's known Avon and he's known her in the past. I think she's kind of spooky, to tell you the truth." Vila gave Jenna a fearful grimace.  
  
"Something is going on here, something is between them....something important, I think. I'd like to know exactly how   
  
Saurina played out in his past. I'm curious now." Jenna said confidently.   
  
"So am I." Vila agreed.  
  
*****************  
  
"I've set a course far away from Altastar. I'm going to try to make sure that we stay out of Federation territory while Saurina works on Avon. What is she doing, by the way?" Jenna asked as Vila came into the control room.  
  
"I don't know. It's creepy, really. She keeps putting her hands on his head, closing her eyes, and then jumping back like he's just hit her or something. It's freaking me out. She doesn't look too happy about it, either."  
  
"Let's go watch her, but not go inside. I want to eavesdrop. Do you understand, Vila?"  
  
"Of course. Let's go." Vila complied.  
  
"Quietly, Vila," Jenna said quickly.  
  
"All right, all right!" Vila whispered. They walked silently to the medical section. Jenna opened the door slowly and she and Vila took in the view. Saurina was standing across the room from Avon, shouting at him.  
  
"Avon, I know you can hear me somewhere in there. Let me in! You have never done that before and I know it must be difficult for you....can't you accept my help again?...You did before, but you had no choice...you have no choice now as well! You never thought I was important enough as a child, but, by galaxy, I'm important to you now! Now damn it, let ME HELP YOU!" Her voice suddenly changed into a frightenning, demanding, deep one. She ran up to where he sat, completely unresponsive, and swiftly climbed up on top to crouch over him, her legs bent at each side of him. Her hands clamped visciously onto each cheekbone with the tips of her fingers pushed against each temple. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them they were rolled back into her head and now all that was visible were the whites of her eyes.   
  
"TELL ME, AVON, TELL ME OF YOUR PAIN, GIVE ME YOUR PAIN! LET ME HELP YOU RIGHT NOW!"  
  
Avon's eyes opened up to white globes, as well. Jenna and Vila, from the doorway, looked at each other, shocked, not knowing what to think.  
  
Suddenly, Saurina let out a horrifying scream. Her body shuddered, and it looked like she was in terrible pain. Vila stepped forward into the room, but Jenna pulled him back. They retreated.  
  
"What is she doing to him?" Vila cried out.  
  
"What she said she was going to do. Didn't you imagine this kind of reaction to occur to a person who sees what's in Avon's mind?" Jenna grinned.  
  
"Right. It could kill her, though...couldn't it?" Vila asked, perplexed.  
  
"No, I don't think so. I think our little Saurina is much stronger that meets the eye. She is quite the person I would pit against Avon." Jenna turned around and walked back toward the control room. Vila followed her. "By the way, Jenna, you haven't told me what you've been doing all this time. Why and how did you get involved with Saurina?"  
  
Jenna and Vila entered the control room and they both sat down. Jenna began, "After I escaped from the Liberator in the life pod and was rescued by the hospital ship, I realized it was the perfect oppurtunity to start over again. You see, the reason why I told Zen to give priority to rescue the others was because I didn't want to be rescued. I missed the old days of smuggling, and the idea of Avon taking over the Liberator didn't appeal to me. I didn't like his heavy-handed approach to the matter...he hardly gave Blake a chance. Trekking around with you all in space was exciting, but....I needed a change." Jenna smiled sincerely. "I had to go to the planet Fultron for supplies. Saurina came to me and asked for my help. She said she had been referred to me by a barkeeper I know on Fultron. She offered me a tidy sum to take her to Gauda Prime; she said she was looking for some insane killer. I agreed since the price was very nice. That's how I came to get in this situation. I saw her captured, and followed. As soon as they boarded the prison shuttle, I followed it. I can't let a person go off without paying me."  
  
"It's a good thing that we all know the general layout of Federation instalations." Vila smiled.  
  
"I wasn't expecting to see you and Avon. It was quite a pleasant suprise. You needed my help, apparently."  
  
"You got that right!" Vila wiped his brow.  
  
There was an odd, animal groan and howling scream coming from the vicinity of the medical unit. Jenna and Vila rushed there and went in. Saurina lay on the floor, very still, with her arms splayed out. Avon was still strapped to the chair as before, but how he was awake and alert, and his eyes looked furious. He said nothing, only gave Jenna and Vila looks of intense anger and hatred.  
  
"She's alive. Let's get her out of here. Maybe she'll wake up and tell us what happened." Jenna and Vila grabbed Saurina and dragged her out into the hall and up to the control room.  
  
"Are you sure she's not dead?" Vila asked, concerned.  
  
"She's alive, trust me. I told you she was the one I'd place up against Avon. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine. She won't give up this early."  
  
"You think so. I don't share your opinion of her. She's a frail thing, isn't she?" Vila argued.  
  
Suddenly, Saurina's eyes flickered open. "Oh.....the pain...my head...help me up, please." Her hand went shakily to her forehead. Jenna helped her sit up. "What happened?" Jenna asked.  
  
"There is so much pain in him. It all came at me at once. It was so fast and so strong that I couldn't determine each cause fast enough. I already know some of the sources for his pain." Saurina sighed. "I'm going to have to rest before I go at it again. He needs rest, too. I suggest giving him a sedative so that he can sleep. He is out of touch with reality at this point. I've brought forward all of his emotions. He would be dangerous if he wasn't strapped down."  
  
"Vila, go give Avon a sedative, extra strength." Jenna ordered.  
  
"Why me?" Vila asked, a scared shake in his voice.  
  
"Just do what I say Vila, please?" Jenna grinned sympathetically. As he walked away, she cried out quickly, "You do know how to determine which serum is the sedative, don't you?"  
  
"I know, I know." Vila muttered, then disapeared into the medical unit.  
  
Jenna turned to Saurina. "Saurina, I think it's about time you told me exactly what your relationship with Avon was." She demanded. 


	2. The Past

Part Two-The Past  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. It is a very long story. You'd better sit down. I met Avon at a young age.....he was already becoming a man...." Saurina closed her eyes and put herself back to a different place and time.  
  
*******  
  
"Saurina! SAU...RIN...A!! Come here, girl...what are you doing in that field, anyway? Get a move on!" Rai Thorne shouted irritatedly.  
  
"Oh Daddy, I'm coming. Let me pick some more flowers though. They're so pretty..." Little Saurina whispered almost to herself as she bent down to pluck a tiny blue bud.  
  
"Get up here, girl!" Rai cried, then turned back to converse with a man wearing black clothes. An older, adolescent boy stood beside the man, and he wore black as well. Saurina took her time, and when she reached them, she put on a shy smile and hid behind her father. The older boy caught her attention immediately. He had a stern face that looked to be permanently caught in a frown. His eyes were dark and foreboding, and they seemed to veil everything, especially what he was thinking. The image of his face at that moment imprinted itself into her memory for all time.  
  
The two men walked off into the direction of a copse of trees, and the older boy sat down in the midst of some daisies.   
  
He scowled when he noticed his choice of reprieve. Saurina looked back and forth from where her father was standing, then back to the boy. She plunked down beside the boy. He started to stand as if to leave. Quickly, Saurina whispered, holding out the flowers in her hand, "You want them?"  
  
The boy looked at her as if he considered her insane. Then he muttered, relaxing back onto the ground, "What purpose do they serve?"  
  
"To make you happy. You look like one of the saddest people I've ever seen. Why are you wearing such a gross color?" Saurina asked timidly.  
  
"My father demands it. My brother died yesterday." The boy replied.  
  
"Your brother died? That's why you're so sad." Saurina pouted.  
  
"I barely knew him." He said in a neutral voice.  
  
"Then, why are you sad?" Saurina asked. "My mom died when I was too young to remember her. I don't feel anything when I think about her, because I didn't know her, either."  
  
"It's my fault he's dead, but I'm not sad, though." The boy said intently, stood up and walked away.  
  
Saurina began to pull off the petals of one of the flowers in her hand. She whispered to herself, "I think you are sad....you are." But he didn't hear her. He was already standing next to his father's side.  
  
***********  
  
"I didn't see him again until about a year later. This time, my father was at his post in the Federation. Avon was an electrical engineer. I was messing around the station, which, of course, was not allowed. My father didn't know I was there. I bumped into Avon, literally. This is when I found out his name."  
  
**********  
  
"Hmmm, hm, hm, hm....doo..do..do..di..da...Ay...the big monster comes out and attacks the helpless maiden. Argh! I must flee!....AHHHHHH!" Saurina ran down the hall. Suddenly, a wall somehow popped up directly in front of her. Crash!  
  
"Ouch. That hurt. I'm sorry." Saurina muttered and stood up, dusting off her jumpsuit. "Oh, hi. I know you."  
  
"What are you doing here, girl? Does your father know you are here?" The young man asked her sternly. His eyes flashed anger.  
  
"No, I'm just playing. This is a great place to explore. Want to play with me?" Saurina asked generously.  
  
"Play? I'm not a child, and the thought of play is unnecessary. You don't belong here. I'm taking you back to your father." He grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hall.  
  
"Hey, don't pull so hard, I'm coming! You're a bully!" Saurina shouted.  
  
"Shh, be quiet! You're going to get us both in trouble."  
  
"Oh yeah, what are you doing here?" Saurina laughed softly. Then she went very silent. "You go by the name of Avon, don't you?"  
  
"How did you know that?" Avon asked warily.  
  
"It's easy. All I have to do is concentrate real hard on your hand, and then I can see like a picture in my mind your thoughts and feelings. You think I'm silly and mindless, and you don't even know me." Saurina frowned, pulling her arm from his grasp. "I don't like you."  
  
"The feeling is mutual, girl." Avon bit out. "Now come along, stop dilly dallying. You're going to stay with your father now."  
  
"You brute. What are you doing here, anyway?" Saurina insisted.  
  
"I'm learning, and someday soon I'm going to go somewhere and complete my training. YOU are supposed to be in the schoolroom right now. Why aren't you there?" Avon asked.  
  
"For one thing, I already know everything they try to teach us. For another, everyone makes fun of me."  
  
"Makes fun of?" Avon's eyebrows lifted.  
  
"They tease me about my hair, my eyes. They tease me because I'm so thin. They don't like me because I'm part alien, whatever that is." Saurina scowled.  
  
"Why don't you knock them up side the head a few times? That would make them rethink taunting you." Avon supplied.  
  
"They're not worth my time. What are you learning?" Saurina was curious.  
  
"It's not important to you."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
Avon sighed, exasperated. "I take things apart and put them back together again."  
  
"That sounds like fun. Can I watch?"  
  
"NO. I told you, I'm taking you to your father. Don't try to deceive me into believing you actually care about technology." Avon flashed a quick, fake-looking smile.  
  
Saurina's eyes widened. "Please, let me watch! Please!!"  
  
"I SAID NO. Come on." Avon ordered.  
  
"Bully." Saurina spat.  
  
"Brat." Avon declared.  
  
**********  
  
"He was never able to keep me with my father. More often than not, I sneaked out, found him, and observed him. He wasn't too happy I kept spying on him. But I learned a lot about instruments, computers, and how things were put together. Avon was always messing with risky equipment. For example, he took apart a panel out of the control complex in the basement of our station. He assured me he knew how to set it up so that nobody would know we were messing around with it. He was right. The circuitry in that thing was awfully complicated. I think that was one of the times he was glad I was there--when we were putting it back together, my photographic memory came in handy." Saurina leaned back and stretched a bit. "I felt a tremendous loss when he had to leave for final training and a post on some isolated base. I missed him. I know now that I was a little in awe of him then. I was entering my teens and he was now an adult..."  
  
*********  
  
"Hand me those cutters." Avon ordered.  
  
Saurina sighed, picked them up, and slapped them into his hand. She sighed again.  
  
"Okay, what's your problem?" Avon frowned, irritated.  
  
"Avon...it hurts me to say this, but....I'm going to miss you." Without warning, she burst out crying.  
  
"Oh, don't start that...please," exasperatedly, Avon put his hands over his eyes and rubbed them as if trying to rid them of an irritant.  
  
"I'm sorry, Avon, it's just that......oh, I don't know. You're my only friend." Saurina looked downtrodden, brushing the tears from her face.  
  
"That isn't a problem. I really don't understand why it should bother you so. I'm the bully, remember? Just count yourself lucky I'm not here to boss you around anymore." Avon grinned, looking thankful in the assurance he'd solved the problem, and shrugged. Saurina frowned at him, then stood up and ran out of the room. She heard Avon chuckle at her retreat.  
  
*********  
  
"I never even got to say goodbye to him. He was gone early the next morning. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I felt so sick the next two days. Any little thing set me off to woeful crying. It was pretty distressing, in the least. I didn't know what was wrong with me at the time. After a week I was back to my normal self, but I never stopped thinking about Avon. He always had an important place in my thoughts."  
  
Now Vila and Jenna sat, captivated, as Saurina's expression changed. Tears began to well in her eyes.  
  
"Five years later, my father insisted that I join the Federation as an officer. It was for my protection, he said. The Federation had a hatred for Terapen and Auron and set out to kill them all. I agreed in the end, but only on one condition......"  
  
********  
  
"Father, I told you, how can I work for them? I hate everything they stand for. They've murdered all of my people. Cold blooded murderers! I wish they'd rot in hell!" Saurina screamed in fury. "And how can you still be associated with them? How can I? I hate myself for living in comfort in their midst!"  
  
Rai stood up abruptly from his chair and grabbed Saurina roughly by the shoulders. "You listen to me, daughter. I'm trying to gaurantee your safety. You will surely die if you don't become an officer. They believe you're a safety hazard.   
  
"You listen to me and listen good. I've never enjoyed my place in their association. I've done it for my own health and well being. I'm too old to fight against them. But we're smart, aren't we? And smart people can do good things, eh? I've spent much of my time here betraying the Federation, helping prisoners escape."  
  
"What?" Saurina whispered.  
  
"Yes. I'm a miniature resistance group of my own making. They've never discovered my transgressions." Rai smiled halfheartedly.  
  
Saurina turned out of her father's grasp. "I still will not be a part of this," she rasped.  
  
Rai crossed his arms. "Isn't there anything I could say to change your mind?" It was a last ditch effort.  
  
Saurina was about to tell him no, that she would run away from the Federation her whole life if that was what would prevent her from being Federation scum. Then a light came on in her eyes. A small smile framed her lips. "There would be one thing...."  
  
"What?" Rai was suprized.  
  
Saurina's face was animated as she turned to face her father. "Do you remember a young man named Kerr Avon?"  
  
"I told my father I would only work for the Federation if Avon was my training officer. He thought it was quite odd, since he had believed I hadn't enjoyed his company as a child. He'd witnessed the irritation and restlessness that developed after our every meeting. I think he was a little perplexed at what my true feelings were. I, in fact, didn't know how I felt, either."  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
Planet Asnar was an isolated Federation base that housed some of the most important Federation assets. The tropical atmosphere led to a feeling of peace. But peace was not what Saurina was feeling. Her stomach was all twisted up in nervous knots and she felt awfully nauseated. Nervousness was the least of her emotions. She felt lightheaded. I think I might even faint, she thought. Federation personnel were everywhere at the landing platform. The twenty-some trainees who arrived with her looked much calmer than she felt.  
  
"Trainees, fall in line, follow me." A tall man with graying hair ordered. In an anteroom, a small group of commanders stood patiently.  
  
"Trainees, halt. Fall out to your proper departments as I call them out--military cadets.....communications.....science...."  
  
Saurina did as was ordered and joined the science department commander. A few other trainees joined them, then the man ordered that they follow him to the science wing. They stopped at the lobby.  
  
"What are you?" A man shouted suddenly in her ear.  
  
"What?!" Saurina started, her voice scared as she looked the man in the eye.  
  
"What science department are you specialized in?" He asked exasperatedly.  
  
"Science technician, sir." Saurina swallowed. "My training officer is-"  
  
"Kerr Avon. Your name--Saurina Thorne. Age--eighteen. A little young for technical training, isn't she, Avon?" The man postulated.  
  
Saurina froze, shocked. Where was he?  
  
"Indeed, she is. I am personally disturbed to find this child here." Avon came out from behind her to her line of vision.   
  
Saurina tried to stop her inward trembling. Seeing him again was too good to be true. Swallowing each of her emotions, she said loudly and clearly, "Sir, I am qualified in the field. I have passed all the necessary tests. I had the top score among the four who were trying out for the same department. I believe I'm very qualified for the field."  
  
"Qualified, yes. Mature enough, that remains to be seen." Avon was pacing around, as if sizing her up. "Being a science technicians officer requires motivation, inovation, adaptation. Do you think you can handle that?"  
  
"I assure you, sir, I will complete all of the necessary tasks to the best of my ability. I will strive for success. I will not fail you, sir." Saurina said urgently.  
  
Avon stopped pacing and leaned in on her. He was so close that his breath wisped her hair as he said in her ear, "If at any time I feel that you are not concentrating on your work or doing your best, you will be sent back to your father." He leaned back and said loudly, "Enough. Stand easy. Follow me to the main technician's operations room." Avon ordered.  
  
"Yes sir." She followed closely behind Avon as he walked down the hall. Suddenly, when Avon met another man walking in the other direction, he stopped. "Tynus, did those technicians of mine help you repair the commmunication circuitry in Section D?"  
  
"Yes, Avon. Thanks for the quick fix. Your team got there on the double." Tynus smiled and gave a short nod.  
  
"It was nothing." Avon assured, nodded back, and they continued down the hallway. Nothing was said between them....Saurina was still in shock. She couldn't think of what to say. They continued to walk down the hall in single file until they reached a door marked, "Primary Technical Control." Avon opened the door and ushered her inside.  
  
"This is where your training will be conducted." Avon informed. Saurina was silent as he took her around to the various posts. Finally, he led her into a sparse cubicle.  
  
"My 'office'. Take a seat." Avon indicated a chair.  
  
"Yes sir." Saurina sat down.  
  
Avon sighed irritatedly. "Will you quit babbling that word all the time."  
  
"Sir, it is customary to call your superior officers 'sir' as a sign of respect." Saurina eyed him from her seat.  
  
Avon crossed his arms and glared down at her as if he was looking at an ant. "It is not actually the terminology that you use that irritates me. It is the way you say it that gets on my nerves...as if you're about to laugh every time you utter it."  
  
"I do feel like laughing, for joy at seeing you again. I have missed you. But you don't care, couldn't care a bit. I'm nothing to you. Would you rather I called you 'Master Avon' or 'King Avon'? Maybe then you wouldn't think it was so odd sounding." Saurina spat, was about to stand up and leave the room, when Avon crossed over, and before she realized what was happening, she had landed on the floor. He'd slapped her across the face!  
  
"I will not stand any backtalk from you. If you speak like that again to me, I will send you back to your father. You are to listen and take orders without complaint or question. Is that understood?" Avon shouted mercilously.  
  
Saurina felt like she was about to cry. Wiping the blood from her lip with a shaky hand, she muttered, "Yes, Master Avon."  
  
"What was that?!" Avon shouted.  
  
"I said 'yes sir, Avon'!" Saurina screamed back.  
  
"Okay. Well, then, get up. NOW." Avon demanded.  
  
Saurina got to her feet, but couldn't look Avon directly in the eye. "I hate you." She declared.  
  
"Good. It's better this way." Avon smiled, satisfied.  
  
********  
  
"Following this, Avon was cold to me. We didn't get along. He was even more distant to people in general. I've always wondered what happened to him that one year of final training. I have a feeling it wasn't good. I never got that far in my training, and I'm glad.  
  
"Anyway, Avon taught me many things that included survival tactics, the complexities of computer instrumentation, how to build different things from scratch out of raw, unrelated materials, and how to use my brain to think up new things.  
  
"On my twentieth birthday, something very important happened...."  
  
********  
  
"Avon, sir, where did you put the primary coupling device?" Saurina asked timidly of her superior officer, who seemed to be in a world of his own. He was looking across the room. Saurina looked toward the direction he was staring. There was a woman, wearing civilian clothes, standing outside the window of the room, talking to someone.  
  
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Avon asked, turning around, a dazed look about him.  
  
"Yes. Where is the primary coupling device?" Saurina asked impatiently.  
  
"That....the what?" Avon looked suprised, then puzzled.  
  
"The primary coupling device? You know, so that I can finish putting this together." Saurina frowned at him. "Are you okay?"  
  
Avon wiped his brow as if trying to put his thoughts together. "Here it is." He handed the device to her, then said, "My state is of no concern of yours. Get back to work." Avon turned back to look at the woman.  
  
"Yes, master." Saurina grinned. She didn't expect any response to that, or the next question. "Who is that woman?"  
  
"Nobody." Avon muttered. He left the room, and Saurina noticed that he'd approached the woman. They were talking. The woman was smiling, obviously delighted by what he was saying. Avon's expression didn't change, but Saurina knew, since she'd known him for so long, that by his body language he was proud of himself.  
  
"Hmmm, this is interesting." Saurina told herself. Her words echoed in the empty room.  
  
*********  
  
"Later that day, I was in need of a part, so I went to the auxilary storage room. It's on a very remote part of the base. I was about to walk in, but I heard voices inside. I eavesdropped, because I recognized one as being Avon's...."  
  
*********  
  
Saurina flattened herself against the open doorway, moving closer so she could hear better. The two were in the back, behind a stack of boxes and crates. Saurina held her breath and slipped into a small cubbyhole directly behind them.  
  
"Anna, why did you come here?"  
  
"I haven't seen you for so long. You are so busy with your little trainee. She is such a nuisance, isn't she? How long has she been in training with you...two years?"  
  
"This is her last year of primary training. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of time to spend with you. She does take much of my time, but that will be over soon. In fact, I have had this idea...it would mean we could be together."  
  
Affectionate sounds ensued. Saurina stuck out her tongue. This wasn't what she'd come here for.  
  
"What's your plan, my love?" Anna whispered, with a little aching sigh.  
  
"I haven't really gone through all the variables yet. I need to ask a friend of mine for help. It may take time to plan out. Don't worry....I did something like it before, on a small scale, and wasn't caught. We can be together....." More affectionate noises.  
  
Ick! Saurina felt like gagging. I'm getting out of here, she thought. Slipping from the room, she returned to the technician section. She had this odd urge to find out who Anna was and do her physical harm.  
  
********  
  
"Avon didn't return until later that afternoon. He came back just in time, too."  
  
********  
  
"They say you're part Terapen. I've heard that mating with a Terapen is more sexually gratifying than with a human. Is that true?" The mechanical engineer said as he leaned over her. His bad breath was starting to get to her, along with his foul words.  
  
"Murdoch, I wouldn't know. Now someone called in Section B asking for assistance. I suggest you go down there before Kerr Avon returns."  
  
"Who gives a damn about Kerr Avon? Don't worry about him. I'm sure we'd have some time to..... enjoy ourselves."   
  
Murdoch grabbed her by her hair and forced his mouth down on hers. It hurt, hurt so bad. Saurina struggled, but her strength was no match to his, and he pushed her down on a table, everything that had been on it slid to the floor. Fortunately, Murdoch had to breathe. He removed his mouth and started to rip at her uniform. Saurina screamed.  
  
Suddenly, Murdoch's body was removed from her and her rescuer punched him to the floor. Avon stood there, looking furious. He grabbed Murdoch off the floor by the collar and pushed him out the door.  
  
Saurina sat up, trying to put herself back into order. "Thank you, sir." She whispered.  
  
Avon moved in front of her, his chest heaving. "What did you do?"  
  
"Me? Do? What do you mean?" Saurina breathed out, a little catch in her throat.  
  
"What did you do to lead him on?" Avon demanded an answer.  
  
Saurina's voice was taken down to a deathly, furious whisper. "You bastard. You think I brought that on?" She couldn't hold back her fury any longer. She put all the force she had in her to the stinging blow she lent to his face. "I really, really hate you. I hope you and your Anna go somewhere nice, warm and safe far, far away so that I never see you again!" Saurina ran out of the room, tears falling unknowingly from her eyes.  
  
"Girl! You get back here! How did you know about Anna?" Avon shouted down the hall. Saurina kept running.  
  
*******  
  
"After that, I didn't talk to him at all. I refused to. My training resumed, reluctantly. Then, on the last day of my training, it happened."  
  
*******  
  
"Do you know the whereabouts of Kerr Avon, Technician Thorne?" The Federation police officer asked coldly.  
  
"I have no knowledge of where he is. I wouldn't know, anyway. We hate each other's guts." Saurina eyed him, trying hard to tamp down her hatred for him. He was the kind of man who'd killed her people.  
  
"You hate him? He is your superior officer."  
  
"Need I say more?" Saurina whispered, her voice deadly.  
  
"Let's go. She knows nothing." The second police officer insisted.  
  
"If we find out you were lying, Terapen, you will suffer....terribly," the first officer sneered, and they exited the room.  
  
********  
  
"I learned that soon after they captured Avon because he had attemped to embezzle five hundred million credits from the Federation banking installation. He'd almost done it, too. Now I understood what he'd been talking about in the storage room to Anna. I blamed her. I attempted to find her, but I couldn't. Nobody had ever heard of her name at the center. Not knowing her last name hindered me. If only I'd known that, I might have been able to find her. I don't know what I would have done if I had found her."  
  
"The most important thing that occurred to me in those weeks was that I'd been kidding myself. I'd always believed my feelings toward Avon were not serious. I now knew differently. I had fallen in love with him. This was painful because I knew nothing could ever come out of it. He didn't care for me at all.  
  
"I heard a rumor that Avon had somehow escaped. I didn't believe it. Not until I heard some maintenance people talking in the hallway. I was now a lower technicians officer....."  
  
********  
  
"Last night, Kerr Avon snuck in here and he was snooping around the storage room. He told me if I so much as whispered a word to anyone, I'd find myself dead in a back alley some night." A man with a mop whispered to the rubbish handler.   
  
Saurina stood silent, listenning behind a corner of the corridor.  
  
"Where is he now?" The rubbish man asked.  
  
"I think he's been sleeping in that secret panel in the cleaning supply room." The other man speculated.  
  
"How do you know? What man would be dumb enough to mess around a Federation installation when the Federation is after him?" The garbage man asked.  
  
"A smart one. They'd never look for him here, would they?"  
  
Saurina stormed out from behind the corner and grabbed the collar of the man with a mop. "Is this true?" she asked bitterly.  
  
"Well miss....as far as I can tell..yeah, I think it is..." the man stuttered with fear. The garbage man started to slink away. "You, stop! If I hear one word of this from anyone else, you both will regret it."  
  
"Yes ma'am, I mean no, we won't tell anybody, will we, Royce?" The garbage man said quickly. Saurina let go of the man with a mop and said politely, "Well, then get on with your jobs. Hurry up." Both men rushed off.  
  
******  
  
"I waited until night. Then I came to the supply room. There was a dim light on inside. I took out my gun, ready for anything. I slowly pushed the door open..."  
  
******  
  
"How long have you known?" Avon growled with frustration.  
  
"Put down your weapon." Saurina ordered.  
  
"You put down yours, first." Avon demanded.  
  
"No." Saurina said.  
  
"Well, then, we'll just keep both our weapons drawn. Are you going to turn me in?"  
  
"No, I'm going to help you."  
  
"If you're smart, you'll turn me in. Just think of the comendations you'd get. If they found out or knew you helped me, you'd be arrested and sentenced to work on a prison planet." Avon muttered.  
  
"It's none of your concern. Did you think I was completely honest and did as the Federation asked? Do you actually think I'm pure, that I haven't broken rules? All along, those years you were training me, I was learning to improve my powers. I cleared prisoners of their brainwashed implants. The Federation never caught me, I hid my trail with a lot of technical imput. If they knew of this, they would have convicted me, as well. So you see, I'm not breaking the rules the first time." Saurina assured him.  
  
"Why help me? You hate me. It would be more gratifying to know that I was spending my time rotting on a prison planet." Avon said.  
  
"I do have some of my own reasons. I don't like the Federation any more that you do, and I think it is about time I'd see them hurt. I admired your daring." Saurina insisted.  
  
"The human spirit is motivated by reward. What kind of reward would the human part of you get out of helping me?" Avon whispered.  
  
"I can only tell you of what I would want to receive from you, but it is something you are incapable of feeling only for yourself. Respect." Saurina whispered back.  
  
"I can't gaurantee you that."  
  
"I didn't think you would. Why have you come back?"  
  
"To get Anna. I'm taking her with me, money or no. I have to leave the city. I must get some exit visas. If we go to Shuttle City, we may be able to flee the planet, go somewhere isolated and safe."  
  
"I'll help you get the visas. I know someone who can obtain them for you. You can trust me." Saurina put her gun back into its holster at her waist.  
  
"I don't trust anyone but one, and she isn't you." Avon got to his feet. He put his gun away.  
  
Saurina glared at him. "You know, Avon, I have a very bad feeling about your Anna."  
  
"You don't even know her."  
  
"You won't listen to me either, will you?"  
  
"Right."  
  
********  
  
"I got the man for Avon. They set up a deal, and I took Avon to my apartment. At the correct time, he left to meet the dealer. I heard in a roundabout way there'd been a shooting and the dealer had been killed. I looked for Avon and....I found him. He was near death. I had to get some of my friends to help me take him back to my apartment. I paid them so they wouldn't talk. I nursed Avon back to health. Tried to read his mind, but I couldn't. I never could. He blocked me out. He was unconscious for nearly two days. After bouts of fever, delussions, and so much blood loss I was sure he would die, he finally came out of it...."  
  
*******  
  
"Anna......is she safe?" Avon cried out.  
  
"I don't know, Avon. What did you tell her before leaving for the dealer?"  
  
"I told her to stay in hiding and meet me at the rendevous point in two hours or until I gave her the secret signal by our communicators. I don't know if she'll do I say, though....." Avon tried to sit up, but Saurina pushed him back down onto the bed.  
  
"Calm down, you're going to break open your wound!" Saurina shouted.  
  
"I have to get to her."  
  
"You have to heal! Stay still. I'll get someone to go and see if she is all right." Saurina ordered. "Does she know where you are?"  
  
"No. She won't tell them. They'll think she is lying and they'll kill her."  
  
"Do they know about her?"  
  
"They tortured me....I mentioned her name in passing, foolishly. They will go directly to her. I must go!" Avon growled in agony.  
  
"NO! You are not leaving until you are well." Saurina pulled out a gun and held it to his neck.  
  
"Killing me would be senseless if you want to heal me." Avon laughed miserably. Saurina put the gun away.  
  
******  
  
"I managed to keep him there until he was well enough to travel. That was about a week later. I had to break the news to him...."  
  
******  
  
"Anna's dead." Saurina said bluntly.  
  
"No."  
  
"She's dead! This is from a senior officer at the installation. My contact was told directly by him. He did not lie. He has no reason to."  
  
"God no..." Avon's face turned ugly with pain. He covered his face with his hands.  
  
"I'm sorry, Avon. She went to find you. Didn't stay where you told her to. They found her, killed her. That is all that is known."  
  
"I'm leaving today. I can't stand this any more." Avon stood up, grabbed the visas that were covered in his own blood, crumpled one up in his fist, and grabbed his coat.  
  
"Wait, Avon." Saurina implored.  
  
"I'm not waiting for a damn thing."  
  
"Okay, then..." Saurina stood up, walked over to her bureau, and quickly scribbled something out on a peice of paper. She put it in his pocket.  
  
"Leave." She said unemotionally. Avon turned around and walked out the door.  
  
********  
  
"What did the note say?" Jenna asked quietly, in the silence that seemed to even deaden their thoughts.  
  
Saurina stood up, stretched her legs, then sat back down again with her feet folded under her. Then, she closed her eyes, and they could see the trembling of her lips as she sighed and said, "The note read: I know you see me as a nuisance..you don't trust me, you don't even care for me in any elemental way. However, in my opinion, I feel it important for you to know that I have fallen in love with you. I pray that we may meet again."  
  
Vila shook himself out of his trancelike look and muttered, "That's probably one of the saddest stories I've ever heard."  
  
"So sad, so pathetic, isn't it?" Saurina scowled, brushing strands of her mussed cornsilk hair from her eyes. "Well, then, how did you two happen to meet Avon? I didn't see any of that information when I read your mind, Vila."  
  
"It's simple, really. We were on our way as prisoners to Cygnus Alpha on board the London. You have heard of Roj Blake, haven't you?" Jenna asked.  
  
"I think so. You mean, you were....Blake's crew! Of course...it all makes perfect sense now. All that jumbled information from Vila...." Saurina and Jenna glanced at Vila, who backed up in pretense of importance and said, "You did say you liked my mind, didn't you?"  
  
Both Jenna and Saurina laughed, and then Jenna continued. "We commandeered a ship we sort of eventually named the Liberator. It was our home away from home." Jenna smiled in the memory. "Now can you explain to us the reason why Avon didn't mention you to us? You would have been very important to us enumerable times, a great asset."  
  
"I can only suppose I wasn't very important. Anyway, even if you did know about me, you probably wouldn't have been able to find me. I've been on the run most of my adult life. Many of the places I don't even want to talk about."  
  
"Oh, and Jenna, don't forget that Avon isn't a person who likes to talk about his past. If we hadn't chanced upon meeting Del Grant, we may never have known about Anna. In fact, we didn't get the full story even then." Vila interjected.  
  
"You knew about Anna before?..." Saurina shouted, incredulous.  
  
"It wasn't as if he wanted to let us in on any part of his past." Vila supplied.  
  
"We happened upon Anna's brother, Del Grant. We got a few details about her then, but not many." Jenna said.  
  
"Later, Avon wanted to get revenge on the man he thought was responsible for her death. It turned out that Anna wasn't dead...she was alive, and she was a Federation spy who'd been tracking Avon the whole time he was working out his bank fraud. He ended up killing her in self-defense." Vila concluded.  
  
"Oh my. It's all worse than I thought. To feel that you have betrayed or let a loved one die is bad....but to have killed her yourself must be unbearable....and to know that the one person you have trusted is your enemy must have been......" Saurina put her face in her hands, then sat up, a strong, determined look about her as she said, "it's completely unfair. An honorable man such as Avon, who sticks to his word...good hasn't been done by him. I'm not saying Avon is an angel....but as you already know I....feel deeply for him, and this hurts me almost as much.." Saurina looked from one face to the other, hoping that her message was understood.  
  
Jenna nodded, feeling she knew the depth of Saurina's emotions. Then, she leaned forward and said silently, "Avon did have a note with him on the London. I asked him what it was and he told me it was nothing. We all know that is his official code for "it's none of your business". Maybe that was your note that he was reading then. I don't know how it could have been possible for him to get it past the search, though."  
  
Saurina smiled at Jenna, as though her life had gotten a hundred percent brighter from this discovery. "Thank you." She whispered. "But you tell me that he said it was not important. This leads me to believe that I'm not all that important to him. In conclusion to my story, though, the last I ever heard of Avon was that he had been captured....I thought he was dead. I have spent these last years traveling from place to place, providing mind therapy to those who need it. I vowed never to love anyone ever again as much as I loved Avon. If you would ask me now why I love him, I would not be able to provide you with an answer, because it is all too hard to describe with simple words."  
  
"Love tends to be like that. So what do you intend to do now?" Jenna asked, curious.  
  
"I'm going to help him, or try my hardest. I need to warn you that....he may not be the same person you knew before. I can heal his pain, but in doing so, he could actually turn into a likable person. I'd like to keep his personality intact, but it is difficult in situations like this. You just never know what you might get. If I don't help him, I'm sure that his instability will progress and there would be nothing I or anyone else could do about it." Saurina informed them.  
  
"Hey now, we've found the right person, then! If you change his personality, I won't mind!" Vila piped up.  
  
Saurina grinned. "I can't gaurantee anything." She sighed, then retreated to the medical unit.  
  
"Jenna, I haven't had a chance to update you on a few things." Vila turned to Jenna.  
  
"Like what?" Jenna asked as she stood up to look at the controls.  
  
"The Liberator is gone....destroyed. Cally is dead. Avon just killed Blake."  
  
Jenna's eyes shot up in alarm. "What? No...it can't be."  
  
"I saw it with my own two eyes, right before somebody shot me in the back!" Vila said weakly.  
  
"Well, what you said about Blake. It can't be true, it can't!" Jenna insisted.  
  
"Why?" Vila's face screwed up, confused.  
  
"Because, Vila, Blake is on the planet Darkkon, and he's a quadraplegic." 


End file.
